Shohreh Aghdashloo heads up this tragic and ferocious film, The Stoning of Soraya M.. Co-starring Jim Caviezel and Mozhan Marno in the title role, the film tells the story of a woman placed in an arranged marriage who's endures abuse only to have her life end tragically. Aghdashloo who plays Zahra, Soraya's aunt, tells the story to a man who's car breaks down in her village.
The film is carried by the performance of Shohreh Agdashloo, who arguably should have won an Oscar for her stunning work in House of Sand and Fog. The narrative, however, is so violent, brutal, and completely chilling, it's actually off-putting to the viewer. As we watch this woman endure this torment and abuse from her husband and even her children, all before even the stoning occurs, it becomes a bit too much for audiences to handle.
This is based on a true story and in many ways, it needed to be told. Although, if you're an educated person, you would know the woman's battle in the middle east (and of course, right here on our main land sometimes too) but the way director Cyrus Nowrasteh presents the material is terrifying. Getting the viewer's attention is the easiest task when performing such an act of honesty and raw natural spirit demonstrated by Aghdashloo and Marno. Those two are brilliant in their respective roles.
The film is gripping and intense with a heart-wrenching third act but it's so vicious, you might need to disengage from the cinematic experience just give yourself a dose of reality, whatever your reality may be. The score and cinematography are superb and of course, the performances are as powerful as they are distressing.
If you can stomach the film, it's definitely worth a watch. But don't look for any happy endings here. You won't find it.
**½/****
The film is carried by the performance of Shohreh Agdashloo, who arguably should have won an Oscar for her stunning work in House of Sand and Fog. The narrative, however, is so violent, brutal, and completely chilling, it's actually off-putting to the viewer. As we watch this woman endure this torment and abuse from her husband and even her children, all before even the stoning occurs, it becomes a bit too much for audiences to handle.
This is based on a true story and in many ways, it needed to be told. Although, if you're an educated person, you would know the woman's battle in the middle east (and of course, right here on our main land sometimes too) but the way director Cyrus Nowrasteh presents the material is terrifying. Getting the viewer's attention is the easiest task when performing such an act of honesty and raw natural spirit demonstrated by Aghdashloo and Marno. Those two are brilliant in their respective roles.
The film is gripping and intense with a heart-wrenching third act but it's so vicious, you might need to disengage from the cinematic experience just give yourself a dose of reality, whatever your reality may be. The score and cinematography are superb and of course, the performances are as powerful as they are distressing.
If you can stomach the film, it's definitely worth a watch. But don't look for any happy endings here. You won't find it.
**½/****